Toggle switch operating device



1952 M. GOLDBERG TOGGLE SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE Filed March 26, 1949 INVENTOR. MORRIS GOLDBERG. BY 64:4,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 15, 1952 NJTED STATES PATENT OFFICE mofifi$ZZZlfZl$$m is ima. elem tar mm-lain: a me of inhctric ltmgle with, and is tor an attachment in: slid 'zswitcha more convenient to operate, especially small children.

Electric :hi the Fhonre generally placed at a level most for operation by adults, so that smalrchildmn have zliificulty teaching them. .is iespec'iahy annoying in 61110111138 the nm-mandhath reom, when a child may have 'tonillan mdultto mailight on or oil.

The presenthlsim'fitsnlzieot to ,nmide a simple mhahment tnr conventional tragic-witches mm in enter-ion enabling a small chin to readily mm the This molt may be accomplished in several was within the conte o! nyiumntion, and two itorrns have been spec illustrated, one (at which mequirestorits out in the match, only the mniacement of me on the Liane Plate, and the'ather of which is best emailed by mplacmgthe face plate.

In the accompanying-firm:

Fig. .1 vis .a plan view of acne Iorm of attachment implaee-omthe Saceplate;

Rig. :2 is .a longitudinal section on the centerdineHlI.-of.iig. 1;; 1

"Fig. 3 .is a transverm section 31B. the plane of line JII-JILoIFigJ;

. .Fig. 4 is a :rear elevation m! .the lace :plate showings. modification o1 and .5 is a horizontal section in the plane of line V-Vof Fig.4.

.lteierming first :to Figs. .1 .to .3, which show the present preferred form of my inventlon fitisthe face plate-covering a conventional switch receptacle, not shown, and B is the toggle lever that operates through aslatdnthe mgplate A. The face plate is provided with two holes C through which pass screws to hold 'theil'aee plate on the switch.

The presentzinwntionimvidesarslide plate 2, preferably but not necessarily made of plastic, having a slot 3 therein elongated in a vertical directionand which is locatedmear the lowerend of the slide plate 2. [It is .so positioned 'as to coincidewith themoutnoithe .lkure of theiaee outlinedbythe plate 2, and the plate 2 is molded and lined as shown. to illustrate the mouth contour.

The plate 2 also has an opening 4 therein through which the toggle lever B for operating the switch extends. As best shown in Fig. 2, the top and bottom edges of this opening are preferably beveled "very slightly so that the outer dimension of the opening upand-down is slightly greater than the inner dimension. It has been found that this shape reduces any tendency of the toggle lever to bind in the opening 4. The opening 4 is in the position of the nose of the figure pictured by the 'face. The opening 4 is so positioned with respect to the slot 3 that when the device is applied to the .face plate of the switch with the lever B projecting through the opening 4, the slot ,3 will then be over one of the-openings'cinthefaceplate.

According to my invention, the conventional screw at the bottom of the face plate for holding the face plate to the outlet box is removed and is replaced by a longer screw 5 about which is aspacin sleeve :6. This-sIeeve-G has a working fit in the slot 3, and the head of the screw 5, serves to retain the sleeve in place and hold the shit plate 2 on the trout of the switch plate. The sleeve has a slight flange 1 that sets in the countersink [in the face plate that normally accommodates theheadof the usual screw. The vertically elongatedslot permits the slide plate 2 to be moved up and down to operate the switch. The sleeve 6 serves to prevent the screw 5 from being-turneddown-so tightly as to bind the slide plate 2.

The lower ,mrt of the slide plate 2 is shaped to provide a part 8 which .may be contoured to simulate a bow tie. This part of the plate .8 is of .course integral with the lace-forming part of the plate 2, and the line which forms the chin of-the face is merely indented in the plastic at this point to complete the contour of the face. The indentation forming the bottom of the face line or chin'is marked 9. On the vertical center line of .the slide plate 2 at the'back, immediately under the chin of thefigure, there is a recess I0 and an integral pin or stud H is formed on the back of the plastic. The flattened upper end portion 112 of amember l3, similar to an electric cable terminal, is placed over this .pin II, and the plate being of thermoplastic material, the pin II is flattened out, formin in efiect, a riveted pivot for retaining the member [3 on the back of the plate. ,A wooden or other stem I4 isinserted in the member I 3 and secured thereto,v as for example by punching or indenting the metal l3 as indicated at l5, and a knob l6 of wood or plastic is preferably provided at the lower end of the stem H. The stem I 4 is made long enough so that the handle It will be within easy reach of a child, assuming the switch plate to be located in the usual position on the wall about shoulder high for the average adult.

The back of the plate is provided with two parallel ribs ll, which are located at each side of the slot 3, and which extend vertically. These ribs I! provide runners which actually bear against the face plate A of the switch, and the space [8 between these runners provides clearance for the screw 5a at the top of the face plate. The back of the plastic plate 2 is otherwise contoured se that the edges of the slide plate 2 will be fairly close to the face plate A, but will not necessarily ride on the face plate. This is best shown in Fig. 3, where it will be seen that the ribs H are in a plane slightly beyond the plane of the rear face of the plate 2.

The illusion of a face is further enhanced by the inclusion of eyes and lines simulating hair. The face is intended to be ornamental and attractive to children. It can of course be designed and contoured in various different ways and according to various different patterns, this being a matter merely of design and taste.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a simple form of switch-operating'mechanism that can be attached with the face plate of an ordinary switch by simply removing the conventional screw at the bottom of the face plate, and replacing it with the screw 5 having the spacing plate 6 thereon.

The device is quite cheap to manufacture. It is entirely safe, and a small child or infant is thus enabled to operate the switch by himself, and without climbing up onto a chair or other support. At the same time the switch may still be conventionally operated by an adult, either by taking hold of the handle (6 or the stem M, or by operating the projecting end of the toggle lever B.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a special form of switch plate is used in place of the conventional form. In these figures, '20 designates a face plate which is generally similar to the face plate now commonly provided, and which has upper and lower screw holes to accommodate screws 2| for attaching the plate to the conventional outlet box. The plate is provided with the usual slot 22 for the toggle switch lever 23.

According to the present invention, an operating lever having a handle extension 24 is pivotally secured to the face plate at 25. It has an arm 26 ofiset with respect to the arm 24, having a loop 2! through which the toggle lever is passed when the face plate is put onto the switch in lieu of the ordinary face plate. The face plate 20 has a margin 20a around its top, and two side edges, but the flange is omitted at the bottom, leaving clearance for the operating extension 24. The extension 24 is shown as terminating in a ring 28.

In this modification the switch-operating extension is secured to the back of the face plate of the switch, instead of to the front, as described in connection with Figs. 1 to 3. While it could be secured just as well on the front of the face plate, it is not shown as having any ornamental or amusing features, wherefore it is considered desirable to conceal the upper part of the operating mechanism.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the switch is operated by swinging the lever 24 in the manner of a pendulum, rather than pushing the operating extension up and down as in Figs. 1 to 3. Either form of the invention provides a device which can easily be put in place on an ordinary toggle switch by the average individual. The form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is particularly desirable because the installation .can be made without even exposing any of the electrically-charged parts of the switch at all. Even with the arrangement shown in Fig. 4, the conventional face plate can be taken out and the present device installed without disconnecting the switch from service. Also while I have shown the arrangement in Figs. 4 and 5 as being made from thin pressed metal, it may be formed of plastic or plastic and metal, or metal and wood, as desired, so that the exposed part of the extension 24 and the handle 28 may be electrically insulated from the toggle lever of the switch. Thus if perchance the electrically-charged wire should happen to touch the device, it will still be safe.

While I have illustrated and described two embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustration, and that various changes and modifications may be made within the contemplation of my invention and under the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

An attachment for application to the switch plate of an electrical toggle switch, which switch has an operating lever projecting through the switch plate, the switch plate having upper and lower screws for retaining it'on an outlet box, said attachment comprising an operating plate, ribs along the rear of the plate extending backwardly therefrom and making sliding contact with the switch plate to maintain the two plates in proper spaced relationship, said operating plate having an opening therethrough to receive and engage the switch lever and having a ver tically out slot 'positionable over one of the retaining screw positions when the operating plate is engaged on the lever, a hollow sleeve slidably retained within said slot by flanged'ends whereby a screw may be passed through said sleeve and replace the usual switch plate retaining screw to hold the operating plate over the switch lever and on the switch plate and to hold the sleeve fixed for guiding movement of the operating plate on said sleeve to actuate the switch lever, and a depending operating extension for actuating said operating plate. g

MORRIS GOLDBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Oberschmidt Apr. 12, 1949 

